Team BC 2018 Training Squad is already hard at work preparing for next year’s 2018 Special Olympics Canada Bowling Championships in Prince Edward Island and 2018 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in Nova Scotia! November marked the start of the provincial team’s series of training camps, where athletes and coaches come together and learn new techniques and skills to help them be at their best on the national stage in 2018.
Training camps got underway in mid-November with the 5-pin and 10-pin bowling camp. Making their way to Coquitlam from all across the province, 68 athletes and coaches gathered to learn from sport experts from Bowl BC and practice their moves on the lanes.
For SOBC – Quesnel 5-pin bowler Eldon Carter, the camp was a great opportunity to learn from other coaches and experts, meet his team, and pump up the team spirit. “I like meeting other people who are part of the competition,” he said, adding: “Team BC is number 1!”
SOBC – Castlegar athlete Michael Cook said the 5-pin bowlers are "really, really excited" to be travelling to the National Bowling Championships next year. This will be Cook’s first experience being part of a sport competition of this scale.
More photos from the Team BC 2018 Training Squad 5- and 10-pin bowling camp
Two weeks later, the Team BC 2018 Training Squad powerlifting and rhythmic gymnastics athletes and coaches came together in Richmond for another busy weekend of training and preparation for the National Games in Nova Scotia next July.
Powerlifters spent the day working with experienced athletes from the British Columbia Powerlifting Association (BCPA), who led athletes and coaches through foam rolling exercises, yoga sessions to help with breathing and flexibility, and individual practice sessions to give the athletes advice on their techniques.
SOBC – Vancouver athlete Daniel Thomas found the training camp “really enjoyable,” and “it was great to be surrounded by people who are really knowledgeable in the sport.” At the camp, Thomas learned specific improvements he can make to his form, as well as techniques for deadlifting and ways to manage stress at competition.
Thomas is excited for the chance to represent his province at National Games, which he says is a “huge opportunity. It means a lot for me to go with my fellow athletes.”
Powerlifting Head Coach Emma Woo said the team is “really excited about the upcoming National Games” and “came up with some great goals to strive towards” at the recent camp. Woo has already implemented some of the exercises she learned from the sport experts into her team’s training program,and is looking forward to seeing the powerlifting team’s performance at the 2018 BCPA Winter Open Powerlifting and Bench Press Championships in February.
The Team BC 2018 Training Squad rhythmic gymnasts had a productive and energetic weekend at the training camp, where they practiced their routines and implemented a training program so the athletes can continue building on their skills at home.
SOBC – Victoria athlete Brittany Scruton said the weekend was “very fun and very good.” She says she now feels “more prepared” after the camp, where she learned ballet skills, stretches, and technical exercises to help with her practice so she can do her best at National Games next year.
Head Coach Michelle Cooper said that the team has “tremendous strength and support within,” and the gymnasts are doing well with their new routines.
“Our gymnasts are at the stage of ‘owning’ their routines,” Cooper said. “There is a confidence and calmness in their performances which is really great to see!”
More photos from the Team BC 2018 Training Squad powerlifting and rhythmic gymnastics camps
The B.C. Warriors basketball team from SOBC – Langley joined the powerlifting and rhythmic gymnastics teams on the second day of the camp, where athletes and coaches were provided with important information about next year’s Games and had a chance to rev up the Team BC Training Squad spirit with team-building exercises.
The B.C. Warriors are “excited for the opportunity to travel to Nova Scotia and are diligently preparing to defend their title,” coach Rob Martel said. “It is an awesome experience as they work hard and grow as a team with the many facets of our training program so far.”
Stay tuned for more reports from upcoming Team BC 2018 Training Squad camps as they continue with athletics and swimming in the Lower Mainland on January 6 and 7, golf and softball in Victoria on January 13 and 14, and bocce and soccer with the B.C. Ogopogos basketball team in Kelowna on January 13 and 14.